Steam lumber-transfer



W. A. WILKINSON STEAM LUMBER TRANSFER.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

Patented June 8,1897.

Inventoi;

(No Model.)

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. W. A. WILKINSON. STEAM LUMBER TRANSFER. a)No. 584,027. Patented-June 8, 1897.

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W. AVWILKINSON. STEAM LUMBER TRANSFER.

No. 584,027. Patented June 8, 1897.

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625/ Wirzram UNITED STATES PATENT Erica,

IVILLIAM A. WILKINSON, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESQTA.

STEAM LUMBER-TRANSFER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 584,027, dated June 8,1897.

A li ti fil d October 17, 1895. Serial No. 665,982. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. WILKIN- SON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in SteamLumber-Transfers, of which the following is a specification,

My invention relates to means for transferring and assorting lumber asit is moving over the rolls after leaving the saw; and the object I havein view is to provide a mechanism which when set in motion by theoperator will lift or transfer the lumber from the rolls to a platformarranged at one side thereof and, further, my invention consists inparticular means for arresting the forward movement of the lumberpreparatory to tran sferring the same; and a still further object is toprovide an automatic device forstoppingthe mechanism when the transferhas been completed.

My invention consists generally in providing a series of uprightswinging arms arranged between the rolls, and means for operatingthesame, in combination with a swinging stop device arranged to be throwninto position to arrest the movement of any piece of lumber that it isdesired to separate from the rest while it is passing over the rolls,all as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure1 is a plan view of a steam lumber-transfer embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a longitudinal section-al view. Fig. 3 is a side elevation showingthe mechanism beneath the floor for transferring the lumber. Fig. 4 is atrans verse section. Figs. 5 and 6 are side and edge views of the upperend of one of the upright arms or levers that engage the edge of thelumber. Figs. 7, 8, and 9 are details of the swinging vertically-movablestop for arresting the forward movement of the lumber. Fig. 10 is asectional view of the spring stop or cushion, against which the stop isswung when struck by the moving lumber.

In the drawings, 2 and 3 represent the timbers which support the floor 4of the mill. Supported at a suitable height above the floor t are theparallel timbers 5 and 6, and arranged at intervals on their uppersurface are the rolls 7', journaled in bearings and pro vided at one endwith a bevel-gear 9, which meshes with a similar gear 10 in the shaft11, which extends parallel to the timber 5, and is supported by hangers12 thereon.

Upon the floor 4, beneath the ti mbers5 and 6, are the standards 13,provided with bearings, in which is mounted the rock-shaft 14:, whichextends under the timber 5 and to a point beneath the inner edge of thetimber 6 and at right angles thereto. Upon the shaft lat and between thetimbers 5 and 6 is arranged a swinging stop, comprising the mainportion, secured on said shaft by a set-screw or in any other suitableway and provided with a longitudinal slot or opening through its center,through which the auxiliary part 16, forming the movable portion of thestop for the lumber, is arranged to slide.

On the outer end of the rock-shaft 14 is arranged an upright arm 17,held in position on the shaft by a set-screw or other suitable means andhaving near its upper end an opening 18 to receive a screw-eye 19, towhich is pivoted a rod 20, having its opposite end pivoted to adepending arm 21, which is in turn connected to a horizontally-pivotedarm 23, supported by the standard 22 on the floor of the mill. To oneend of the arm 23 is pivoted a vertical rod 24, to the lower end ofwhich is connected the valve which controls the admission of steam tothe cylinder 25, secured to a vertical timber 25', which depends fromthe floor-timbers above.

Secured to the under side of the timbers 3 above the cylinder 25 is thehorizontal rockshaft 26, parallel with the timbers 5 and 6 above thefloor and at right angles to the rolls '7 thereon. The rock-shaft 26 isprovided at each end with the short arms 27, to which are secured theforked transfer-arms 28, which extend up through the slots provided inthe floor of the mill to a point between the rolls 7, as shown in Figs.2 and 3. A short swinging arm 30 is pivoted to the upper end of each ofthe arms 28, and pins 31 are provided, extending through the upper endof said arms to limit the swinging movement of the arms 30.

The arms 30 extend above the upper snrface of the rolls in position toengage the edge of the lumber moving over them, and when the arms 28 aremoved to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 it is obviousthat unless these swinging arms 30 were provided it would not bepossible to move the arms 28 back to their normal positionwithoutinterfering with the moving lumber. The rock-shaft 26 is alsoprovided with a clownwardly-extending arm 32, having a slot 33 near itsouter end, in which is pivoted the link 34, having its lower endpivotally secured to the piston-rod 35 of the cylinder 25, so that whensteam is admitted to the cylinder 25 by movement of the vertical rod 24the movement of the piston will rock the shaft 26 and swing the arms 28back and forth between the rolls. As shown in Fig. 4, a spring 36 isprovided upon the upper edge of the arm 32 in position to engage thelower end of the rod 37, which is secured to the opposite end of the arm23 from the rod 24, whereby when the shaft 26 has been rocked and thelumber moved off the rolls by the arm 28 the spring 36 will engage therod 37, lowering the rod 24 and shutting off the steam from the cylinder25.

The rod 37 extends through an opening provided in the floor of the milland is provided at its upper end with nuts above and below the end ofthe arm 23, by means of which the rod 37 may be adjusted in any desiredposition and the throw of the arms 28 regulated at will.

Above the cylinder 25 and pivoted to the timber 25 is a horizontal lever39, provided at its opposite ends with the upright pivoted rods 40 and41. The rod 40 extends up through the floor of the mill to a point whereit may be depressed by the foot of the operator, while the upper end ofthe rod 41 is pivotally connected to the lower end of the auxiliarypart16, so that when the rod 40 is depressed the stop 16 will be raised upbetween the rolls and into the path of the moving lumber.

Upon the upper surface of the timbers 5 and 6, at the left of theauxiliary part 16, I provide the cushion-stops 43, which limit themovement of the part 16 when engaged by the end of the moving lumber andtakes up any shock that might result from the sudden stopping of thesame. Upon the opposite side of the part 16 are provided the stops 42,against which the part 16 strikes when it is returned to its normalposition.

The cushion-stops comprise the threaded caps 44, arranged to be screwedinto threaded flanges on the surface of the stops 43 and provided withan opening 45 to receive the studs 46, provided on the disk 47, arrangedwithin the caps 44. Springs 48 are arranged beneath the disk 47 to holdthe-same in engagement with the outer end of the caps 44 until the studs46 are struck by the moving part 16.

At the right of the rolls is an inclined plat form 49, upon which thelumber is thrown by the swinging movement of the arms 28.

The operation of the device is as follows: The lumber as it comes fromthe saws passes over the rolls 7, and should the operator desire toseparate a particular piece from the rest he will depress the uprightrod 40 before the piece of lumber reaches the point above the rock-shaft14, thereby raising the sliding portion of the stop into position'to beengaged by the end of the lumber. As soon as the said sliding portionstrikes the cushion-stops. heretofore described, the forward movement ofthe lumber over the rolls will be arrested. Then the part 16 is engagedby the end of the moving lumber, the shaft 14 will be rocked. raisingthe arm 23 and the rod 24, thereby opening the valve and admitting steamto the cylinder, and as the piston is raised under the pressure of thesteam in the cylinder the shaft 26 will be rocked and the arms 28 movedagainst the side of the lumber, which will be pushed or thrown laterallyoff the rolls upon the inclined platform 40. Then the arms 28 reach thelimit of their movement. the spring provided upon the upper edge of thearm 32 will strike the lower end of the depending arm 37, raising thesame and also the end of the arm 23, which movement will depress the rod24 and shut off the steam beneath the piston. The steam being admittedabove the piston the arms 28 are brought back to their normal position,and as the pivoted arms 30 are swung down to permit the arms 28 to passbeneath the moving lumber it is not necessary that the rolls-should beclear of lumber before the arms can be returned to their normalposition.

From the foregoing description it will be noted that the transfermechanism may be put in motion with one movement of the foot of theoperator, and that, the engagement of the lumber with the sliding stopautomatically turns on the steam into the cylinder, and that themovement of the mechanism is automatically reversed when thetransfer-arms have reached the limit of their movement.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination, with the gang-rolls. and means foroperating the same, of the vertically-movable stop, the rock-shaftsupporting the same, and adapted to be rocked by the engagement of thelumber with said stop, means for raising said stop into the path of themoving lumber, the transfer mechanism, comprising a rock-shaft, the armssupported thereby, the cylinder arranged beneath said last-namedrock-shaft, the crank-arm carried by said last-named rock-shaft andconnected to the piston of said cylinder, the pivoted arm 23, the rod 24connecting one end of said arm and the valve for controlling theadmission of steam to said cylinder, means connecting said arm 23 andsaid first-named rockshaft whereby when the latter is rocked, said armwill be raised and the steam admitted to said cylinder, and said armbeing provided at its opposite end with a downwardly-extending arm orrod in position to be engaged by said crank-arm whereby said arm 23 willbe returned to its normal position, and the steam shut oif when thetransferarms are near the limit of their stroke, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, in a machine of the class described, of the movingrolls, the rockshaft arranged beneath the same, a valvecontrollingmechanism connected with said rock-shaft to be operated thereby, a stopcarried by said shaft, and adapted to swing with the rocking of thesame, said stop comprising the main portion securedto said shaft and asliding portion, and means connected with said sliding portion,wherebythe same may be raised into the path of the moving lumber, forthe purpose set forth.

3. The combination, in a machine of the class described, of the movingrolls, the rockshaft arranged beneath the same, a valvecontrollingmechanism connected with said rock-shaft tobe operated thereby, a stopcarried by said shaft, and adapted to swing with the rocking of thesame, said stop comprising a main portion secured to said shaft andsliding portion, stationary cushion-stops to engage said swinging stop,and means connected with said sliding portion whereby the same may beraised into the path of the moving lumber, for the purpose set forth.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination, with the movingrolls, of the rock-shaft arranged beneath the same,a valvecontrollingmechanism connected with said rock-shaft to be operated thereby, a stopcarried by'said shaft, and adapted to swing with the rocking of thesame, said stop comprising the part 15 adjustably secured to said shaft,and a part 16 vertically slidable through an opening provided in saidpart 15, means con nected with the lower end of said part 16 for raisingthe same up between the rolls, and the stops provided upon the oppositesides of said part 16 for limiting the movement of the same,substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a machine of the class described, of the rolls,the movable stop beneath the same, and arranged to be projected abovethe surface of the rolls, the transfer-arms also arranged between therolls, the rock-shaft whereon said arms are supported, the cylinderarranged beneath the same, the piston connected to said rock-shaft, thepivoted lever 23, the rod 2i connecting said lever with a valve forcontrolling the admission of steam to the cylinder, said lever 23 beingalso provided with a depending rod 37 and the rod 20 connecting saidlever 23 with said swinging stop, substantially as described, and forthe purpose set forth.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination, with the rolls,and means for operating the same, of the transfer-arms arranged betweensaid rolls, the rock-shaft whereon said arms are mounted, the crankarmprovided on said rock-shaft and connected to the piston of the cylinderbeneath the same, a lever 23 arranged above said rockshaft, the rod 24connecting said lever with a valve for controlling the admission ofsteam to said cylinder, the rod 37 carried by said lever 23 andextending into the path of said crank-arm, and a spring 36 provided uponthe upper edge of said crank-arm to engage said rod 37 when saidtransfer-arms are near the limit of their movement, for the purpose setforth.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination, with the rolls,and means for supporting the same, of the rock-shaft arranged beneathsaid rolls, and at right angles thereto, the upright transfer-armscarried by said rock-shaft, the crank-arm also provided on said shaftand connected with the piston of the cylinder beneath the same, thelever 23 pivoted above said rock-shaft and connected with the valve forcontrolling the admission of steam to said cylinder, an adjustable roddepending from said lever 23 into the path of said crank-arm to be oper'ated by the same for operating said lever, the pivoted arm provided atthe upper end of said transfer-arms and a pin 31 provided in the upperend of said transfer-arms to be engaged by said pivoted arm, for thepurpose set forth.

8. In a device of the class described, the

combination, with the moving rolls, and

means for operating the same, of the rockshaft beneath said rolls andsubstantially at right angles thereto, the upright arms provided on saidshaft, the crank-arm, the cylinder having its piston connected thereto,means to be operated by the moving lumber for admitting steam to thecylinder beneath said piston, and means to be engaged by said crank-armfor shutting off the steam from the cylinder beneath said piston andadmitting it above the same, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a device of the class described, the combination with the movingrolls, of the rockshaft beneath the same and substantially at rightangles thereto, the upright arms provided on said shaft, the crank-arm,the cylinder having its piston connected thereto,

means to be operated by the moving lumber for opening the cylinder-valveand admitting steam beneath the piston, the lever 23, means connectingthe same with said cylinder-valve, and the rod depending from the lever23 into the path of said crank-arm, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day ofAugust, A. D. 1895.

WILLIAM A. WILKINSON. In presence of O. G. HAWLEY, M. E. GooLEY.

